What's New: Healthful Drink Options

It seems as if there's a new beverage on the market every day, touting the benefits of its nutrients and exotic fruits. We tried a few to see how they stand up to the competition.

Zola Brazilian Superfruit Smoothies, $2.99 to $3.99 for a 12-ounce bottle, available at natural food stores and www.DrinkZola.com

The pitch: "The taste is substantially powerful rather than overly sweet, evoking a sense of health, vitality and well-being associated with the Brazilian lifestyle."

The skinny: Taste definitely takes a back seat to the nutritional benefit of these four smoothie flavors. The berry flavoring of the Antioxidant Smoothie was appealing. The others were more difficult to down, despite knowing that Brazilian superfruits - acai, caja fruit and camu camu - were boosting energy and fighting aging.

Fruit2o Essentials, $1.29 to $1.49 for 20-ounce bottle, available at major grocers

The pitch: "Women looking to stay hydrated and maintain a healthy diet can achieve the daily intake of water and fruit nutrients."

The skinny: I understand why people want to drink fruit-flavored water, and this one is tasty. Personally, I'd rather get my vitamins E and B-6 by eating some fresh strawberries and kiwi. Veggies? That's another story. But I don't suspect they'll launch Veggie2o anytime soon.

POMx Teas, $2.99 for a 16-ounce bottle, available at major grocers

The pitch: "A healthy alternative to the artificial ingredients and empty calories found in traditional summertime drinks such as sodas and sports drinks."

The skinny: Pomegranate is the hot new flavor, thanks in large part to its antioxidant activity. It's being infused into a variety of foods and drinks, and getting it into tea seemed inevitable. Our testers enjoyed all seven flavors, and noticed only a slight bitter aftertaste. It's definitely refreshing, and people more interested in a nice cool tea might pick up the Pom regardless of the nutritional boost.

Clif Quench Sport Drink, $1.49 for a 16-ounce bottle, available at natural food grocers and sports retailers

The pitch: "The new 88 percent organic sport drink is made with the optimal balance of electrolytes and carbohydrates proven to give the body only what it needs to stay hydrated and sustain performance."

The skinny: The company best known for its line of protein-packed energy bars has introduced its version of Gatorade. At 90 calories, a 16-ounce bottle offers a good balance of sugars, carbs and sodium needed during a workout. It avoids being overly sweet and maintains the natural and organic makeup that makes its energy bars so popular.

Mary Shedden